Bookkeeping device



Aug. 11, 1931. o. L. HERMANN 1,318,253

BOOKKEEPINQ DEVICE Filed Sept. 14. 1929 2 Sheetfi-Sheet 1 Aug; 11, 1931.o. L. HERMANN BOOKKEEPING DEVICE Filed Sept. 14. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Aug. 11, 1931 barren STATES earner errors OTTO L. HERMANN, OFST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MES-NE ASSIGNMENTS, TO BUXTON &SKINNER PRINTING AND STATIONERY 00., OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A

Y CORPORATION OF MISSOURI BOOKKEEPING DEVICE Application filed September14, 1929.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inbookkeeping devices and refers more particularly to a device forfacilitating the setting and posting of gas, electric, and other ratesin lose leaf books.

In determining the charges for gas, elec trio, and other services therecords obtained by the meter readers and usually kept in loose leafbinders are records of original entry and are the media from whichbilling and ledger records are compiled. It is, therefore, one of theobjects of this invention to simplify and speed up this method ofbilling and posting procedure by providing a. single unitary device forvisibly mounting the rate chart and for supporting the open binderadjacent the chart to facilitate the comparison of records therein withthe chart.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of a device ofthe character de scribed which visibly supports a chart or the like andwhich has means for guiding the leaves of the loose leaf binder from oneside to the other, to at all times maintain the proper order. s 7

And a further object of this invention resides in the provision of adevice of the character described and for the purpose stated wherein theleaves of the binder need not be removed from the binder proper.

/Vith the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of thehereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one complete example ofthe physiembodiment of my invention constructed according to the bestmode I have so far dovised for the practical application of theprinciples thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bookkeeping device constructed inaccordance with my invention illustrating its manner of Serial No.392,593.

of a sheet of bendable metal having its lower portion bent slightlyrearwardlv along a transverse line 3 to divide the member into an uppersubstantially vertical portion 7 and a lowe rearwardly and downwardlyinclined portion 8. The lower portion 8 has its bottom edge directed.laterally to provide an attaching flange 9 having apertures 10 throughwhich securing means, not shown, may be passed to fix the supportingmember to a desk top or the like. i l

An angle member 11 is fixed to each side of the supporting member toincrease its rigidity, one leg of each angle member being cut to conformto the angle between the upper and lower portions 7 and 8, respectively.Rivets or other securing means 12 and 13 secure the top and bottom endsof the angle members 11 to the upper and lower portions of thesupporting member, respectively, and the intermediate portions of theangle members are rigidly connected with the supporting member by studs14 riveted at their ends to the angle members and the supporting member.The supporting member 5 is maintained in an upright position by aninclined shelf 15 whose uppermost portion is ofiset downwardly as at 16and provided with a downwardly directed flange 17 which is riveted orotherwise secured to the supporting member 5 adjacent its transverseline of bond 6, and the lowermost edge of the shelf turned up at 18 toform a stop or rest, the bottom of which is in the plane of the flange 9and rests on the surface of the desk or other support on which thedevice is mounted. A transverse brace 19 having one end secured to theflange 9 by spot welding or riveting and its other end provided with anlip-turned part which is similarly fixed to the lowermost portion of theinclined shelf, rigidly connects the inclined shelf with the supportingmember 5.

The shelf 15 is adapted to support record books and is particularlyadapted to receive the separated cover sections 21 and 22 of a looseleaf binder, which are arranged side by side with their ends restingagainst the upturned edge 18 and their binder heads 23 and 24,respectively, received in the offset portion 16 at the top of the shelf.

The binder heads 23 and 24;, which are l'iingedly connected with thecover sections 21 and 22, respectively. are adapted to be ex 'iansivelyconnected by readily extensible posts 25 and a locking post The poscomprise threadedly connected sections 27 fitted to the binder head 23and studs 28 fixed, to the binder head 2d and adapted to be slidablyreceived in the bore of the outermost sections 27. The locking post 26comprises female and male parts carried by the binder heads and 23respectively. The female part consists of threadedly connected sections29 the outermost one of which is tubular to receive the male partconsisting of an expan sion member 30, which may be expanded intointimate engagement with the bored section 29 to secure the binder headsagainst relative movement.

In carrying out the object of the present invention the binder heads areseparated and the cover sections arranged side by side on the inclinedshelf as illustrated in Figure 1, with all of the leaves 31 on one side.An arcuate member 32 having male and female ends 33 and 34 is thenapplied to connect the sections of the locking posts by having its end33 received in the tubular section 29 and its end 34 disposed over theexpansion member 30, so that the leaves may be readily moved from oneside to the other without disturbing their order. In this manner theleaves of the binder at all times lie flat and thus facilitate theinsertion of records thereon.

The upper portion 7 of the supporting member 5 has a frame 35 fixedthereto by rivets 86 or the like, in which a chart 37 is mounted, beingremovable through the upper open edge of the frame. The chart 37 mayhave any desired information thereon, and being mounted directly abovethe inclined shelf, is thus in close proximity to the open binder, sothat an operator may readily compare records 011 the leaves of thebinder with the chart to facilitate entry of further records. From theforegoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawingsit will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which aninvention of the character described appertains, that I provide adevicewhich greatly facilitates the comparison of 95 records kept in a looseleaf binder with a chart or the like, and by the use of which the leavesof the binder are at all times maintained in their proper order.

hat I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a loose leaf binder comprising separable coversections and post members for connecting the cover sections and impalingplurality of leaves therebetween, of a chart-supporting member, a. chartmounted thereon. a shelf connected with the supporting member adjacentthe chart, said shelf being adapted to support the separated coversections of the loose leaf binder whereby the leaves of the binder arein close proximity to the chart to facilitate a comparison of records onthe leaves with the chart, and means connecting the separated coversections of the loose leaf binder whereby the leaves may be moved fromone cover section to the other without disturbing their order.

A device of the character described, comprising a substantially verticalmounting member, a chart on said mounting member, an inclined shelfconnected at its top with the medial portion of the mounting memberbeneath the chart for supporting a record book in close proximity to thechart, whereby records in the book may be readily compared with thechart, and means connecting the lower portions of the mounting memberand the inclined shelf.

3. A de *ice of the character described, comprising an upright mountingmember, an inclined member connected therewith and serving to maintainthe upright member in its upright position, a chart mounted on theupright member, and the inclined member being adapted to support arecord book in a position facilitating the comparison of records thereinwith the chart.

l. A device of the character described comprising an uprightchart-mounting member, a chart carried by the upper portion of themounting member, an inclined. shelf having its upper marginal edgeportion connected with the medial portion of the upright mountingmember, means connecting the lower portions of the shelf and the uprightmounting member whereby the shelf serves to maintain the upright memberin its upright position, said inclined shelf being adapted to support arecord book in position facilitating a comparison of records thereinwith the chart, and a portion in said inclined shelf offset downwardlyto receive part of a record book supported on the shelf.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

OTTO L. HERMANN.

